Melco and OESD Streamline Operations and Adopt Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central SaaS
So many businesses have been experiencing rapid growth over the last decade and one of the challenges has been modernizing operations with the right software solution. A sign of effective leadership and management excellence is finding experienced business partners. Melco International and Oklahoma Embroidery Supply and Design (OESD), subsidiaries of BERNINA International AG, are two sister companies that fall into this category and chose to upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central SaaS.
The two companies produce, sell, and distribute products into the commercial embroidery and home embroidery business segments. Melco sells commercial embroidery solutions, including software, embroidery machines, and a range of supplies that support commercial production. OESD began as a family-owned business in 1987 and sells a range of embroidery designs and supplies for the home embroidery market. BERNINA Textile Group acquired OESD in 1997.
Both companies offer eCommerce on their websites and have been experiencing tremendous growth for years now. A big problem for both companies has been their reliance on legacy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software that the companies have been running for over ten years. Both companies were using legacy Microsoft Dynamics NAV versions and needed to modernize business software and processes to keep pace with their expected growth.
The Challenge
Challenges with their legacy ERP software included business process integration with other business divisions and continuous operational costs for hardware related to servers and databases. Melco ran Dynamics NAV 4.3 and OESD was on version 3.6, and the OESD database included data from three other legacy instances. Bottom line, the sprawling code base prevented simple business integration processes for two growing businesses.
“We wanted to remove hosting infrastructure, so we could focus on our ERP software and easier integration for distribution,” said Jordan McCroskey, President of OESD and VP of Marketing for Melco. “Each business is unique within our organization, but the goal is to have one common ERP platform and leverage it across the multiple businesses.”
The Solution
After consulting with the ArcherPoint upgrade team, Melco and OESD decided to move to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central SaaS. The decision centered around the ability to scale their business efficiently across multiple business divisions within BERNINA.
“With ArcherPoint’s help, we looked at Business Central as an Azure product, on-premises hosted, and Business Central SaaS,” said McCroskey. “ArcherPoint was able to show us the cost differences between each product and we chose the SaaS platform since it would help us with our core business, mainly distribution functions.”
By choosing Business Central SaaS, Melco and OESD were able to consolidate the companies’ databases into one with ArcherPoint’s help. These legacy databases included a considerable amount of data and the ArcherPoint team was able to migrate all the customizations, while not creating any incompatibilities inside the consolidated database.
Besides a successful database migration, a big benefit to Melco and OESD is the addition of the Dynamic Ship add-on from Insight Works. Dynamic Ship offers a range of options, including real-time rate shopping for shipping, tight integration into carrier services, and handheld scanning features to build and scan packages in Business Central, to name a few. Both Melco and OESD leverage BERNINA Group’s numerous global businesses and need robust functionality that can offer operational efficiencies around distribution.
Further optimization comes by way of the AR Collections and eBiz Add-Ons. The eBiz functionality offers numerous billing features, such as automating payment collections and running a range of transactions in Business Central. And AR Collections can track your accounts receivables collection efforts, track contacts with past due clients, and expected payment dates.
What's Next
Melco and OESD modernization efforts are part of a bigger move across all business units within BERNINA. Organic or acquisition growth is always a challenge for businesses but recognizing the right software to harness a growing business is essential for success. With digital technology transforming all industries, essential partnerships are helping many companies like Melco and OESD move forward and embrace the future.
“ArcherPoint has been a partner for many years, and we certainly saw the technical expertise of the team over that time,” said Dale Sanders, CEO at Melco and OESD. “We are extremely comfortable with the ArcherPoint team in the discovery phase, and we were very comfortable when it came time for a decision and the investment in Business Central SaaS.”
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What Makes ArcherPoint Different?
Our clients see their business systems as unique and important to their competitive position. They prefer software and technology to support their business processes, not the other way around. Our clients are looking for a strategic partnership with the company that implements their software, not just a vendor. They demand the most talented, experienced professionals who understand how to quickly, efficiently solve their business issues. If this describes you, we invite you to contact us to learn more about our people, company and solutions.